STERLING, Virginia (CNN) – Firing up supporters at a women’s rally with Joe Biden in Virginia Friday, Sen. Barbara Mikulski told the crowd, “Democratic women, we wear lipstick too!” referring to Sarah Palin’s now-famous joke that the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom is lipstick.

“You and I know that we women in America are mad as hell and we don’t want to take it anymore,” the spirited Maryland senator said. “I’m here today to say to you, we’ve got to get ready here, ok? Women, square your shoulders. Women, Democratic women, we wear lipstick too!”

“We don’t need another George Bush in earrings being the No. 2 spot,” Mikulski added.

The Delaware senator focused his remarks on women's issues, saying that demographic is the most affected in an economic downturn.

“We're going to change that because here's the deal, we've got to restore both the protections and the dignity,” said Biden, “Because when the economy goes south, it's women who go, whether they're making minimum wage or working for a major corporation.”

Biden also said that on a conference call with Barack Obama and their economic advisors that morning, billionaire investor Warren Buffet told the group, “the last hundred days of the Bush administration are like the first 100 days of the FDR administration,” referring to the Great Depression.

Biden argued that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury need to be given emergency authority so people can stay in their homes and keep their savings. He added that part of the solution is ending “the cowboy mentality of the Bush and McCain era,” saying “they have worshipped at the shrine of deregulation.”